Edit The Sad Parts
by LycanthropicCloud
Summary: This is a collection of short stories centered around Zack and Cloud having random adventures, angst moments, happy times and so on. Rating might change, maybe I should make it an M. R&R if you please.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Okay, so, I have no idea where this will go or why exactly I'm writing this. I suppose it's because I'm bored and have some time on my hands. I'm kinda bummed at how much this has been done before. Well, there're different ideas I guess. So, enjoy I suppose, and tell me what to improve on so I don't suck and then get stuck writing crap.

Warnings: There is M/M stuff.

The pairing: Zack x Cloud, that's a given coming from me. There may be others, depending on where this is going, such as one-sided Sephiroth x Cloud involving torture and such.

There will be _implied_ yaoi, meaning: I'm not going to write a man sex scene that is detailed, I'll state it in some other artsy fartsy way. If that's a problem, I'm sorry, but, I'm not a gay man, I have no experience, not gonna pretend I do. Also, I'm not a porn writer in general. However, it is still there, so if _that's_ a problem, don't make yourself uncomfortable reading this.

Also, this whole thing might end up being pretty damn brutal, contain gore, and most likely be dark. Definitely be dark actually, because I'm a bad person.

He stood in front of the many. They would all die today. It was his goal anyway. By the look of things there were about three hundred plus foot soldiers and two choppers, armed with some of the latest heavy duty machine guns.

He felt a slight hesitation in his step but corrected it. If he ever needed confidence, it was now. He put on a grin and took another step forward. It won't be too hard, he wasn't _completely _surrounded, and that was definitely a plus. Taking a deep breath he pulled the Buster sword in front of him, letting his forehead settle against the cool steel of the blade, as Angeal had done before him. _Please, _he thought, _let me accomplish this at least… for Cloud's sake._

If he could pull this off and clear the field, he could die happily, knowing that there was a reward for all his efforts. He always wanted to be a hero and he would achieve that dream today, dead or alive. He lowered the blade, his happy demeanor replaced with one of shear determination. Looking at him now, he seemed the first class SOLDIER he was, it was evident that the man had been in constant battles, was a skilled warrior, and knew what he was doing. It was a high amount of confidence and pride in his stance. It also showed the things he had somewhat hidden. The sadness, hurt, and loss, infused with a sort of rage burned in his eyes.

Another step forward, he looked back at where he had placed the other man to make sure it was safe and out of the way then looked back. He let out a battle cry that sounded more like a pained scream, everything he had felt for the past five years were unleashed in what would be his final battle.

They dropped as flies, left and right, the sword tore into them like a hot knife through butter. It already began to be a bloodbath. Bullets were fired from all directions and he had seemed to dodge them without a problem. It began to feel like he couldn't see or hear or feel, all he knew was his purpose. He didn't see the men before him as soldiers or even as people, but merely as annoying objects in the way of his goal. That was as a SOLDIER was supposed to think and feel. There was never room for any humanity or morality in a time of war or dying. You do what you must and that is enough.

He was breathing hard, one hundred down by now, and both choppers. Just a little more and they would be free. It was hurting him to breathe and move, he could feel leaking all over his body, but, he paid it no mind.

He pushed forward as more fell all around him, luckily for him, some of the bullets would ricochet off of him and kill more troops. Soon it was down to fifty or so, he breathed heavily, his eyes were wild with fury and pain, ramming through, making sure they were dead once they hit the ground, an extra decapitation to make sure sometimes.

The whole thing excited him, made him hard. Maybe it was due to the sheer power that only he contained here. Maybe it was the satisfaction in watching them fall to his blade so quickly and eloquently. The blood would lash out in different patterns and ways, time seemed to stop and let him enjoy watching the canvas be painted red. It would coat his body and wrap around him as a blanket, making him feel safe and warm and perhaps a bit sticky.

However, when he would gain back his humanity, these events were not looked upon in the same light. He was disgusted and ashamed, rejecting that part of him instantly. SOLDIERs were monsters as Angeal had once told him so long ago. He told him that, eventually, he'd be able to accept that part of him as a monster and only as that. Angeal had told him to never compare his human self with that monster self since nothing good would come out of it, and all of it would amount to madness and despair. It still disgusted him but, sometimes he thought, it was useful and necessary.

There were now only a handful of men that transformed into shadows of their proud selves, resorting to sniveling and pleading for mercy. Those cries fell on deaf ears. These men couldn't be trusted to live. All were a threat in the way, there would only be security when the last one would fall. After a few seconds they were fountains. He turned away and walked towards the edge of the cliff, then fell to his knees. The rest of his body followed suit until his entire body touched the ground.

He won. He had finally done it, he was a hero now. He had saved the both of them from captivity and gotten them close to Midgar. His vision was starting to haze and his rational mind being replaced by a sort of deliria. When he looked at himself, he could tell why. There were a multitude of bullet holes, gashes, and pools of blood coming from beneath him. All the pain and exhaustion flooded his senses and he started to shake and feel light. He did not want to die today, he wanted to keep going and he was going to make damn sure it would happen.

He shakily grabbed his curaga material from the safe place in his pocket and coaxed the lifestream inside of it to help his wounds heal, at least to stop the blood from leaking about. If he could just rest somewhere safe, he would be as right as rain, so he thought. He let out a breath of relief as the magic did its work mending and fixing his shattered shell. He closed his eyes to take just a little nap.

After what seemed like eternity, he opened them up again as he heard a scuttling sound off to the side of him. _Damn, didn't I get rid of them all? How long have I been here? It could be reinforcements. Damn it, I'm not strong enough to fight another wave._ The scuttling was closer now. _Well, I'll just have to give it my best shot, they're not going to take me down that easily! _With that in mind he pushed himself up onto his arms, letting out an unearthly growl and turned to face the intruder, then he froze. His trademark grin returned to his face and he let his body slack.

"Cloud!"

This was one of the best days in his life, if not _the_ best. Not only did he finally reach his goal, Cloud was awake. Even his usually optimistic self was starting to doubt that the boy would wake. Cloud looked pretty dazed himself, and a little scared. Maybe he should check who someone was before growling like that.

Cloud smiled in response to his name being called and moved closer towards Zack, on his way observing the carnage and destruction surrounding them. He became worried and focused on Zack more, then noticed that he was covered in blood and appeared to be heavily wounded with no apparent damage to be seen. This worried him even more.

"Za…ck? What happened?"

The words came out croaked and scratched his throat as they came.

Zack, was a little stunned at hearing him speak, it sure was deeper than it used to be. Maybe it had just been so long he forgot what he sounded like exactly.

"Well, I just ran into a bit of trouble is all. Nothing I couldn't handle though, gave them a run for their money. It's all good now though since their gone. They didn't have a chance against me."

Zack was the same old Zack, obnoxiously optimistic and a little reckless. Cloud didn't mind it; he liked the man the way he was.

Zack's expression softened.

"I'm so relieved that you're awake now. For a second there I thought-" He shook his head. "No, it's fine now, right? Still, you shouldn't worry me like that again, you hear? I'm not much of a fan of being scared."

Cloud's smile grew bigger.

"Sure…I'll make sure…next time I'm paralyzed…to tell you in advance…and we'll have a nice…chat."

"Still a smart ass. You don't know how much I missed that."

Zack got up to his feet somewhat unsteadily and brushed himself off.

"Well, we really need to get going somewhere safer I would think. There should be caves or holes around here, I saw plenty before."

Cloud began to struggle to stand and was failing miserably. He was determined. He was going to be able to stand on his own damn legs by himself. He wasn't going to trouble Zack anymore now that he was fully functional, well…semi…partly functional. He finally stood after a few more times and instantly regretted it as a wave of nausea crashed into his senses causing him to fall down and making him more nauseous.

Zack came over quickly and tried to help him up. Cloud batted his hand away.

"Cloud, please, let me help you. You just barely got over this thing, maybe you shouldn't me moving around too much."

"No, you've already…done so much for me. The least I can do…is lift the burden a little bit."

Zack backed away and let Cloud do what he was trying to do, always trying to be independent. He needed to learn that asking for help wasn't a sign of weakness, sometimes, it was the only option.

When finally he regained balance and composure, he began to slightly sway. Suddenly there was what seemed to be an explosion of colors and symbols. They made him feel at ease and calm as he mindlessly lost himself into the pattern. It made him think about his mother. She had the most beautiful, long silver hair, and pale blue skin.

If Zack wasn't worried before, he sure as hell was now. He had that comatose look on his face again and the soulless look in his eyes. He reached out and grabbed the blonde's hand. This seemed to cause some sort of shock to go through the younger's body as he went rigid and then relaxed.

"Thanks Zack…they were trying to take me away again…"

Zack tightened his grip around Cloud's hand. He had to still be under the mako, strongly, it wasn't a surprise being that Cloud must have had copious amounts of mako and other liquids stuffed into his veins and body. It still wasn't as bad as it was before however due to the fact that Cloud could now stand and…function. He was always worried that he was going to fall back into a relapse since the moment he was awake.

"Well…um, there should be shelter around here somewhere. It's starting to get dark and I'm really tired."

Cloud nodded his head and smiled.

Zack led him carefully and slowly down the hill, always checking to see that Cloud's feet were on the ground. Cloud's face turned a light red when he actually noticed Zack's hand was entangled with his. He debunked it as embarrassment but deep down was sure what it was. He had always felt safer and more secure around Zack, maybe it was the vibes he gave off, or just how open he was, not to mention caring. He wanted to thank Zack somehow, to let him know how much he had appreciated all of the trouble he had gone through for his sake.

He had been aware of things the whole time he had been paralyzed. He always heard Zack's voice, what he was saying and felt when their bodies were close. He couldn't respond or fully comprehend things, but, it was the feeling that mattered. It helped him come back to his current state, he was almost lost in the darkness and the swirling so many times, and then Zack's voice would pull him through.

He would find a way to pay him back, to make him feel the way he had felt, he was determined. That man really had no reason to do this for him. Cloud was sure Zack would have run off on his own but, he never did. He wouldn't have blamed him either , because of him they traveled slowly on foot.

"There's a good sized one, it's a bit tight but, it's fine enough. What do you think?"

"It's great."

"Hmm…'Great' huh? You're blunt. That's fine though. Let's get to setting up then, and I'm gonna keep an eye on you to make sure you don't pass out on me. It's not fun to always talk to yourself, you know?"

Cloud gave a curt nod and then turned away as he realized that damn blush was on his face again, it was irritating, and then he was nauseous again.

This was going to be a hard set of days.


	2. Chapter 2

The cave was quite snug and cozy. Between the both of them, they set up a miniature fire pit, making sure to put it out when they were done with as to not attract attention or burn each other while they slept.

It had been raining the whole afternoon which had felt nice. Their tracks and scent would be covered and it brought that nice, damp, rain smell and feel that reminded the elder man of his hometown. He let out a sigh as he reflected on everything that had led up to this moment in time; The lab, the burning, becoming SOLDIER 1st class, being a grunt, running away from home to join Shin-Ra against the will of his parents. Maybe he should've listened to those old coots. He covered his face with the palm of his hand, closing his eyes, and getting lost in his memories.

Cloud suddenly stood and went outside almost in haste. Zack looked up at the sudden distraction and caught sounds of gagging and liquid splashing against the earth, almost covered up by the pouring rain. He stood and went to join the blonde to help him out at least. It was discomforting to see. There was a forming pool of blood and mako around the side of the cave. Cloud had his hands against the wall and was shaking heavily as he produced more and more of the bile.

Zack helped get Cloud steady and rubbed circles on his back, whispering words of assurance. After a minute, the puking stopped entirely. Cloud was still shaking and sobbing due to the severity and held onto Zack as the man led him back inside to rest. He scooted to the fire as close as he could without burning himself.

"Thank you… I'm sorry that-"

"You don't need to apologize for anything Spike. You did nothing wrong."

"It was still disgusting to watch, you didn't need-"

"I know I didn't need to. Cloud, I wanted to. I want to help you and I want to make sure that you're alright. I didn't drag you halfway around Gaia to see you suffer. I did it so I could help you and because I care about you. We're friends, right?"

Cloud nodded and looked down, slipping a shy smile.

"Yeah. You're right."

Zack beamed.

"I'm always right, you gotta get used to that."

They started to plan their journey to Midgar. It was going to be highly risky since they would have to cross a vast amount of open space. If they were caught out there, there was a low chance that they could escape, they'd come in bigger numbers the next time. If only he could've held onto that damn motorcycle.

They would need to eat before leaving, preferably something big since they wouldn't be eating for a while. He was sure he would be fine on his own since being a SOLDIER required such things at times, he wasn't too sure how long Cloud could last without food. Did the mako he had give him SOLDIER tendencies? It had to have done something just because of how much he was exposed to, as well as whatever that black stuff was. He would shudder just thinking about it; anytime he saw it he heard screaming and maniacal laughter. Now it was in Cloud.

He hated it. It made him sick what they had done to the blonde. They spent most of their time screwing around with him; slicing him open, injecting him with all sorts of liquids, submerging him in high amounts of mako and that black liquid, always talking about Sephiroth or Jenova. All the while Cloud would scream and fight until he just didn't respond anymore. They poked antics at him after that, calling him an obedient dog and how they had broken him. He would pound on the glass trying to break free and help, but all he could do was watch.

They'd given up on Zack after the first few times. They shot the black crap in his veins and Bahamut almighty did it burn. There were images and voices but he had blocked them all out. Somehow this turned into him being called a failure and then labeled as the "control" as Cloud was then labeled a success and the "variable", whatever that meant. He was just glad to get out of that hell hole.

Cloud had been puking less since the past episode, however, at random occasions he would space out and spout some nonsense about the Promised Land, Ancients, Mother, and some sort of One-Winged Angel to claim the world as its birthright. He wouldn't remember anything about the outbursts and it disturbed Zack. It felt eerily familiar, and felt, in some weird way, true. It felt as if it was a piece of history he had been taught several times but never cared to remember and at the same time, as if it was going to happen in the future. He would always shake it off and try to ignore Cloud's rants, once almost telling him to shut up. He knew it wasn't his fault though, how could it be if he couldn't remember it?

He shook his head.

"What're we gonna do once we get there?"

"Hm? Oh yeah. I…didn't think about that actually."

Going to Aeris' house was a bad plan. It would be an obvious target place and would drag her into it. There had to be someplace for them in the slums, Shin-Ra never looked there for anything; they'd send 2nd classes mostly or lower. He knew he might be able to sway some of the SOLDIERS out of taking them or at least take them out easily and move to a different location. There were several dilapidated buildings down there that no smart person would enter alone. That could be the option. Once they could find a place, they could start being mercenaries and do a whole bunch of various tasks that would pay out big time.

"Well, here's how it'll go. We sneak inside through that hole in the side of sector five and then navigate our way into either sector seven or eight. We'll scout out an abandoned house or apartment and stay there for a while. Then we'll see what happens after that. Yep, that is, if everything goes well and we don't get mowed down by guns. It should take a few days so we should eat as much as we can now."

Cloud nodded in affirmation. It seemed simple enough but would still be dangerous. He would make sure to keep his guard up and protect Zack at any cost, as Zack had done for him.

That night, they had caught a chocobo. It was a random but lucky catch. At first Zack was worried that it being there meant that people were around but, it turned out it was a wild one that seemed to get separated from its flock. It didn't smell like human at all which meant it was fair game. Taking it down was fairly difficult, it took both him and Cloud to do it. He felt bad having to kill it since its kind was so close to humans as far as partnership went, it was almost like killing a dog.

Zack had pinned it down and Cloud had grabbed its neck. It had wounded the both of them in the assault with its legs thrashing out wildly, causing a scratch down Zack's right arm and a two-clawed scratch down Cloud's chest. Along with that were several pecking and bite wounds. Finally Cloud had managed to snap its neck, twisting its head almost all the way around.

They both stood and brushed themselves off, proud at what they accomplished but also ashamed that they had to kill something that had done nothing wrong but to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Carrying its corpse back to the campsite, they pulled it apart, getting rid of the inedible parts. After that they made a decent sized fire, roasting the bird to an almost perfect state. They devoured it as if the meat were liquid. Neither had had real food for a long time and so this was like some sort of godly feast.

They talked happily and fell asleep early to set out first thing in the morning to gather some final supplies and at evening head towards Midgar.

________________________________________________________________________

Zack's dreams were full of horrible things. He saw Angeal, smiling and lecturing him about the importance of honor, dreams, pride, and what it meant to be a SOLDIER and then, he was soaked in blood in front of him with the Buster sword in his chest, reaching an arm to Zack, tears running down his face, the only thing human being his face. Zack fell to his knees sobbing. He saw Cloud taken away by Sephiroth, then witnessing his throat being slit open with nothing he could do to stop it, Sephiroth laughing maniacally while stabbing Aeris, and so much more. He just wanted to wake up; he couldn't take all the imagery and the suffering. Too many things were being witnessed all at once. He wanted to scream but wasn't allowed to as he felt his own blood clogging his lungs and throat.

He woke up suddenly and was covered in a cold sweat. He hated his dreams; all they were since the first day in the lab were torturous things. He didn't want any more of it. He took in some deep breaths to calm him and brush it off, as he always did. When he was silent he heard some sniffles and whimpers. It seemed he wasn't the only one having bad dreams.

He reached over and grabbed Cloud's arm. Cloud went rigid and became quiet.

"Hey, what's going on?"

There was a pause.

"Nothing important."

"Was it a dream?"

"No. I wasn't asleep."

Zack let out a sigh. Always the secretive type. He decided to be stern and see if that would elicit a valid response.

"Cloud, tell me. It must be something important if you're crying about it."

There was a long period of silence. Cloud was fighting with himself to either reveal what he was feeling or keep it shut inside.

Zack began to think that Cloud went back to sleep until he heard the whisper.

"I…I just…I don't know what to do."

Cloud turned over and stared at him with teary glowing eyes. Zack stared back with concern.

"What do you mean?"

"There's… nothing to go home to. There's nothing to strive for. Everything that I worked so hard for…was all for nothing, I'll never be a SOLDIER, I never can even if I wanted to because of this. Everything that I was got burnt down to the ground with my home. I wasn't able to keep my promise or protect anyone."

His voice began to waver as tears started to fall.

"You're the only one left. You're the only important thing that matters to me, in this entire world. Please…don't leave me here. Don't go."

He reached out and took Zack's arm. He was afraid that acting like this might scare off the only one he had left. He knew how unbecoming it was, how pathetic, and low it was but, he couldn't hold it in anymore. It was too much to bear.

"Please…"

Seeing Cloud in the state he was now made Zack's heart wrench. He was being so open and honest and was afraid. He was so used to Cloud being a fortress, so closed up and secretive. Here he was spilling his guts. It was true, all of it. Cloud was an orphan; he had no home, no mother, no friends or family. He didn't exist to the rest of the world. He couldn't imagine that kind of pain. The knowledge of having absolutely nothing and at the same time feeling like they were nothing. It was true loneliness.

"Cloud, I promise you I won't go with them. I'll stay here with you. We're in this together and we'll get out of it together. You and me. We'll find something to strive for and we'll make a new home. Don't worry."

He grabbed the younger man and pulled him close. Cloud was surprised by the action but didn't struggle against it. He accepted this comfort. He acknowledged that he needed it now, more than ever.

"I will never abandon you. I never have and never will, understand?"

Cloud nodded and buried his head into Zack's chest. He felt warm and content. Something he hadn't felt for such a long time.

"Thank you…for everything."

Zack smiled softly and raked his hands through Cloud's hair until the boy went back to sleep. Soon after, he joined him and for once in a long time, had a peaceful and joyous dream. He and Cloud lay down in a field of flowers, side by side, watching the sky together.


	3. Getting There

**A/N: **Okay, back to the main story now I suppose. Sorry for the wait to those whom it may concern. Enjoy this new chapter I guess. I'm trying to keep them away from being Out Of Character but, it may pop up time and time again and I'm sorry for that. Anyways, here it goes. Thanks again in advance for reviews and reading through it!

**Getting There**

It was all ready afternoon, the sun hanging high right above them. Several miles of deserted plains ran in all directions around them, the only differences in the landscape being the random rock formations, some of which were perfect to conceal themselves if needed. The sight and thought of the place made Zack incredibly thirsty. He mentally cursed himself for not thinking of bringing some sort of hydration along with them. Ah well, he thought. At least they had brought the meat with them. It was better than nothing.

He kept his eye on Cloud throughout the journey, watching for any more bizarre behaviors. From time to time, the blonde would have a dead look in his eyes and mutter some random sentence or just make strange sounds. He hoped that either the mako would stop affecting Cloud the way it did or that when they would get to their destination, someone would know how to fix him up. He didn't want to hear it anymore; it worried him and made him feel sick to his stomach. He knew who "Mother" was and he rejected her the whole time she had tried to establish contact. Now Cloud was attached to her, he could feel it.

Maybe there was something permanently wrong with him now. He wouldn't be surprised, it just upset him. The kid had never done anything to deserve it and now he was paying for it with his sanity. Zack shook his head and kept on walking, humming a little tune he had picked up from his childhood. It was something he had always done when tense, nervous, or when he was just plain scared.

Cloud watched the surrounding area with steadily rising anticipation of an attack. It just seemed too simple a thing to walk across such a vast space without detection. He readjusted the bag of meat on his back and looked up to Zack who seemed to be lost in his head, humming the song that he had heard him hum when he was dragging him around in the dark when he had been comatose.

"Hey Zack?"

"Yeah?"

"What is that song that you're humming?"

"It doesn't really have a name. Most people call it the Lost Child song or something like that. It's about these kids that get eaten one by one by this monster but, at the end, they get free from his stomach and return home."

"Oh. Sounds morbid."

"Well, from what I know, a lot of nursery rhymes and kid songs are. I hum it because, at the end they all go home, out of the monster and going home. It makes me feel better when I'm down, ya know?"

Cloud nodded his head in affirmation. He could understand the metaphor and it made him feel better as well. Most of the rhymes he had been raised with just ended badly. In fact, he couldn't recall a single one that had ended well. He mentally shrugged his shoulders and kept on walking.

As they reached the halfway point, there was a faint buzzing sound in the air. Cloud instantly whipped his head in the direction it came from and saw nothing. His heart started to beat faster and he walked quickly, bumping into Zack.

"Gah! Cloud, what are you doing?"

Cloud's eyes were wide open, looking every which direction, scouting out the source of the sound.

"D-Don't you hear that?"

Zack closed his eyes for a second, straining to catch a sound, when he finally heard a low buzzing, seemingly coming from above them. He looked up and couldn't find anything as the sound became louder and louder. He recognized the sound as the blades of a helicopter. It must've been using a cloaking device.

"Shit! Cloud, follow me!"

They both ran at a ridiculously fast pace and went behind a group of tall rocks that were clustered together, hoping that it would be too difficult of a location for whoever was in the chopper to land and get them, unless they were just going to open fire on them. Zack hadn't quite thought that part through.

* * *

"Shit, yo!"

The redhead driving in control of the helicopter spat in irritation. He had had them and then they were gone!

He lit up another cigarette with expertise, taking a huge drag. He looked quickly at his bald headed "partner in crime" and focused back on the screen.

"Damn it, boss won't be happy 'bout this one, yo."

"Should we try and wait them out?"

"Nah, yo. Zack's a clever bastard, I'm sure they'll stay wherever they're hidden until he knows we're gone. Sly little fucker. He's lucky we need 'em alive."

The PHS rang loudly in the redhead's pocket, insisting to be answered. He pulled it out without taking his eyes off the radar and opened it up.

"Yello?"

"Reno."

"How's it goin' boss?"

"You are to address me as Tseng. Do try to have some kind of work etiquette."

"Sorry bo- Tseng." He drawled out the name.

"How is the mission going."

Reno rolled his eyes. He knew it would come to this. So early too.

"Not too good actually. We lost them. They're in a place that's dense with giant rocks and shit."

Tseng cringed at the crude language used. He couldn't believe the man on the other side of the phone was as skilled as he was with such a laid back demeanor.

"Well, I suppose you shall have to try again later, correct?"

"I s'pose so boss…Tseng, I mean!"

"I want you and Rude to come back here as soon as you can to try and formulate another plan. We're sure that their destination is Midgar. We can corner them there. Understood?"

"Sir, yes sir!"

"Goodbye."

Tseng hung up right after the word came out of his mouth. He placed the phone back onto the receiver and folded his hands together on his desk. He did not agree with these actions at all. He had known Zack and the blonde one from before. As far as he knew, neither of them had done anything wrong but, he was a Turk. It was a "do as you're told without question" job.

Hojo had wanted only one subject alive in all reality and that was the kid. He had said that Zack was not truly necessary, as long as he got the other one back. Tseng had made the order then to get both of them alive, at least to see Zack once more and perhaps help him. He closed his eyes and sighed. Hopefully, the Turks could catch them before the others.

* * *

They were both pressed up against the rock tightly, each one breathing rapidly and hoping that they wouldn't be killed. Suddenly, they heard it getting farther and farther away until finally, they couldn't hear it at all.

Zack let out a huge breath of relief and sank to the ground, putting his forehead in the palm of his hand.

"That was close."

Cloud fell to the ground as well, shaking from the adrenaline, trying to slow his breathing.

"You alright?"

Cloud nodded his head and continued to shake. He was afraid that they were going to be taken back. He feared that more than death itself. He never wanted to go back to that accursed place, all the pain, the torture, the screaming.

He held his head with both of his hands as a sharp, shrill, sound pierced his ears. It blinded him with white hot pain. He could see Jenova, hear her laughing, and then it turned more masculine, deep, and rich. Sephiroth stood below him, looking up at him with a grin tainted by insanity and laced with a beastly rage. Cloud looked down and saw his blood running down the masamune, the other end sticking out of the other side of his abdomen. He tasted the blood rising up in his throat and threw it up as it came.

Zack grabbed him and pulled him up into a kneeling position as Cloud began to spew blood.

"Shit! Cloud! Damn it!"

He alternated between rubbing circles on his back and patting him hard to help him get it out. His vision got blurry as tears went up in frustration of not knowing what to do.

"It's alright, let it out, let it out."

Cloud could hear a voice from far away and followed it. He recognized it immediately after as Zack's and was shoved back up into his body so fast that he sat up on his knees as if he were just shoved upward and then fell over to the side, shaking violently.

Zack grabbed Cloud and pulled him into a tight embrace. Cloud's breathing slowed and the blood had stopped coming out of his mouth. He stopped shaking and slowly calmed down, staring straight ahead, trying to figure out why that scene had come to him. He shook his head and looked up at Zack who looked suddenly petrified out of fear.

What Zack saw in Cloud's eyes were slit pupils, just like Sephiroth's. His hair on his neck stood up on its ends as a chill ran down his spine. He shut his eyes for a second and when his eyes opened again, Cloud's pupils had gone back to normal. He breathed a sigh of relief.

"Zack?"

"Huh? Oh, it's nothing. Are you feeling okay?"

Was he just seeing things, or was that really there? He shook his head and took the benefit of the doubt. It was just a trick to the eyes, right?

"I'm alright. Better than I was a second ago. Thanks."

"Well…I suppose we should keep moving. Before they come back you know…"

"Yeah."

Cloud pulled himself away from Zack and stood up, straightening himself up and pushing away the light headedness he had felt. He still tasted the blood and saw it was on his clothes and the ground. Great, he had made tracking easier. He began kicking dirt on to the pile to cover it up the best he could. Zack was watching with confusion until he finally understood what he was doing. Kid was smart.

"Ready Zack?"

"Oh? Yeah. You sure that you're all right? We can rest here if you need."

"No, I'm fine. We can't wait here any longer, they'll come back. I know they will…"

"Right then!"

Zack stood up, performed a couple of squats, and starting walking with Cloud by his side. Hopefully they could get there soon, and safely. He just wanted to sleep in a nice warm bed and shower. He also wanted Cloud to be taken care of so he would stop getting so sick. It scared him every time that Cloud would have a fit, always there was a fear of it being his last one. He began humming again and took out a piece of meat to eat, with his head held high and Cloud in his sight.

They were going to make it.

**A/N: **Damn, I'm sorry I'm making Cloud so god damn weak and stuff, I swear he'll get better, he'll just be a little…crazy. Anyway, hope you enjoyed. I'll probably put up the next chapter soon and integrate more characters into it. Tell me what you guys think. Till next time!


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